EDMONTON – This one was circled on a lot of calendars.
Meeting for the first time since the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers will face-off against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place on Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
“It wasn’t my favorite [place] before, but it’s quickly turned into one of my favorites to come back to,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said. “It’s great memories with the Final and everything. It’s such a grind. Just thinking back to that time, it was such a hard-fought series. Whether we were up three [games] or lost three, it was great memories and the time of our lives.”
After the Oilers battled their way back from a 3-0 deficit in the series, the Panthers found a way to get the job done with a 2-1 win in Game 7 to capture their first-ever Stanley Cup.
With that, the Panthers expect the Oilers to want some payback in tonight’s rematch.
After all, it wasn’t long ago they were the ones looking for revenge against Vegas.
“I was pretty angry playing against Vegas the first time last year,” said Tkachuk, reflecting on the team’s loss to the Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. “There was nothing you could do about the year before, but they took away your dream basically. That was a very hard-fought game, to say the least. I expect tonight will be a very, very intense game."
Off to a good start in defense of their Stanley Cup, the Panthers sit second in the Atlantic Division with a record of 18-11-2, but have been shut out in each of their last two games.
Following a 4-0 loss at Vancouver, they were blanked 3-0 at Calgary on Saturday.
In those two losses, the Panthers did muster 4.85 expected goals.
Given it’s only a matter of time until the floodgates open and the goals start to flow once again, the Panthers are more concerned on the defensive side of the puck at the moment.
In both Vancouver and Calgary, they didn't like how they looked in terms of their rush defense.
“It’s foundational to what we do, whether we play Edmonton or anybody,” head coach Paul Maurice said. “We have to play a much better gap game.”
Sam Reinhart leads the Panthers in both goals (19) and points (39), while Tkachuk is second in scoring with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists). Missing the last game due to an illness, Aleksander Barkov has logged 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists).
Maurice said he’s “hopeful” that Barkov will be able to suit up in Edmonton.
Named the first star of the game in Game 7 against the Oilers, Sergei Bobrovsky will be between the pipes for the Panthers. Over his last five games, the two-time Vezina Trophy winner has gone 4-1-0 record while stopping 111 of 121 shots for .917 save percentage.
Much like last season, the Oilers are finding their groove after a slow start.
Third in the Pacific Division at 18-10-2, Edmonton has won eight of its last nine games and stretched its win streak to five games with a 6-3 win over the Golden Knights on Saturday.
Dominant at both ends of the ice during their streak, the Oilers have outscored the opposition 25-10 while scoring on 42.9% of their power plays.
Leading the Oilers in scoring with 45 points (22 goals, 23 assists), Leon Draisaitl also leads the team with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) during the streak. Second on team in both goals (14) and points (41), Connor McDavid has accumulated 10 points during the streak.
Winning the Conn Smythe, McDavid notched 11 points in last year’s Stanley Cup Final.
Sitting at 11-7-2 record with a .897 save percentage, Stuart Skinner will start for Edmonton.
While it certainly won't be the same as the Stanley Cup Final, tonight's tilt will definitely pack some extra punch.
“It’s a whole team effort against them and against him,” Tkachuk said of trying to slow down McDavid. “We know they play well at home and have been playing really, really well as of late. They’re kind of clicking. We’ve got to be at our best.”
THEY SAID IT
“These games are different. The intensity level of any team we’ve played against in the playoffs the last two years has just been higher for both teams.” – Paul Maurice
“This one will be pretty easy to get up for tonight. We’re excited to play a team like them. They’re a great team that’s playing really well right now. It’s a great challenge for us. I don’t know what the recipe has been for us, but we get up for these games.” – Matthew Tkachuk
“No matter who you play in the playoffs, it brings back memories. You get familiarity with a place. But there’s a job at hand tonight. We want to get back to our game.” – Sam Reinhart
FIVE CATS STATS
- The Panthers rank second in the NHL with 866 hits.
- The Panthers went 2-0-0 against the Oilers during the 2023-24 regular season.
- Evan Rodrigues led Florida with seven points (4G, 3A) in last year’s Stanley Cup Final.
- The Panthers are operating at 30.2% on the power play on the road.
- Florida ranks first in the NHL with seven shorthanded goals.
PROJECTED LINEUP (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
Check back closer to puck drop.
RECENT TRANSACTIONS:
- Dec. 6: G Chris Driedger loaned to Charlotte (AHL)
- Dec. 6: F Mackie Samoskevich recalled from Charlotte (AHL)
HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN
When: Monday, Dec. 16 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Rogers Place – Edmonton, AB
TV & Streaming: Panthers+, WSFL-TV, WHDT, WFTX, NHL Network (out of market)
Radio: 790 WAXY (Dade/Broward); 1230 WBZT-AM & 92.1 WZZR-FM (Palm Beach); 100.3 WCTH (Florida Keys); Panthers App; SiriusXM Channel 221 / App & Streaming 931
Cats on Tap: Click to View Participating Bars & Restaurants
